It's a fact of life: Your skin ages just like the rest of you. It's constantly exposed to the elements, from the punishing sun and heat to the bitter cold and wind. It's impressive to know that it holds up as well as it does. Through the years, the largest organ in the human body weathers sunburns, acne, stretching, winter dryness and cracking, and many other damaging effects without much too complaint.

But those duties exact a price on your skin, causing it to lose elasticity and become thin, dry and cracked. Wrinkles, blemishes and spots are frequent signs of aging skin.

But if you want smooth skin for as long as possible, there are things you can do now and throughout your life to make it happen. The key to remember is that making good health choices about your skin can keep it looking younger for a longer amount of time.

That means not just being careful about your exposure to the elements, but also being careful about what you do to your body as a whole.